The situation between Enes Kanter and the Knicks must end sooner rather than later.

The best scenario for both sides is to part ways.

But for now, Kanter is still a Knick, which means his playing time will remain a topic of conversation.

Here are five thoughts on the situation:

1. David Fizdale can play who he wants

No one is saying that Fizdale doesn't have the right to play who he wants to play. If the Knicks coach wants to sit Enes Kanter, despite the fact the team is paying Kanter $18.6 million this season, he can do that.

Mitchell Robinson, in particular, needs experience. He's still extremely raw, and missing 13 games with ankle and groin injuries recently didn't help his development track. The Knicks view him as part of their future, which means he needs time on the court now.

Developing Robinson is a priority.

And there's no denying Robinson's defensive impact. He had four blocks Friday night against the Nets and his quickness and athleticism on the defensive end is a weapon that Kanter doesn't bring to the floor.

Fizdale said he's trying to install a style of play that Kanter doesn't fit.

"I want to be able to play a very versatile style in the future and I don’t want to wait to start working at that and start building that out," Fizdale said after the Knicks' loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

2. The rebounding disparity still stood out

What amplified Fizdale's decision to sit Kanter Friday night was Nets' domination of the Knicks on the boards.

Brooklyn won the rebounding battle 59-33 while the Knicks finished with just six offensive rebounds.

That's Kanter's strength.

He's averaging 10.8 rebounds per game this season, including 4.0 on the offensive glass.

Not to mention the fact that in his three previous games against the Nets this season, Kanter averaged 22.3 points and 13 rebounds.

And that's why the decision to keep Kanter on the bench Friday night for his second straight "DNP" stood out.

After the game, Fizdale said that he didn't feel it was fair to Kanter to throw him into the game when Brooklyn was going on its "rebounding run." He also said the Knicks needed to keep up with the Nets' speed, which meant keeping Robinson and Noah Vonleh in the game.

Still, seeing the Nets kill the Knicks on the boards while Kanter sat on the bench sparked some questions about the decision.

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3. The communication issue

Kanter has been saying that no one has kept him informed on why he hasn't been playing. When told that Fizdale said he doesn't fit the style the Knicks are trying to play, Kanter said he wished Fizdale had told him that directly.

"I wish that he communicates with me," Kanter said. "I’m seeing every day but he does not say a word to me. I wish. We are grown men. He could just come up to me and say you’re not fitting our whatever, you’re not fitting what we’re doing."

But Kanter and Fizdale did have a conversation last week where Fizdale told him the team was prioritizing development and his minutes would be slashed as a result.

Communication still hasn't been perfect.

The situation escalated Wednesday when Fizdale told Kanter in the morning he was leaning toward starting him that night against the Houston Rockets, but then changed his mind later in the day and decided he would start Noah Vonleh at center instead.

When he did that, Fizdale sent assistant coach Keith Smart to deliver the message. The following day, Fizdale said that when he told Kanter he was starting, nothing was "set in stone," but when he has to make a change, Smart is his "messenger."

But given the volatility of the entire situation, that was a scenario where Fizdale probably should have delivered the message himself. If there was a time for an exception to Smart delivering that type of news, that would have qualified.

4. Kanter's not the only one

There are a handful of players in Kanter's situation.

Courtney Lee didn't play for 10 straight games before seeing minutes Friday night. Lance Thomas sat for six of eight games before playing in the Knicks' last two contests, while Trey Burke didn't play for four games before scoring 25 points against the Nets on Friday.

They each have said they understand the situation they're in and the team is in, and they can only stay ready for their next opportunity.

Kanter has obviously been more vocal.

When asked Thursday if he's spoken to those players about how they handle the situation, Kanter said his situation is different because he's a younger player.

"I mean, Courtney or Lance, they’re 33, 34, whatever years old," Kanter said. "I’m 26 years old. It’s not like I am old. You know what I mean? They treat me like I’m old."

Lee is 33, Thomas is 30 and Burke is 26.

Kanter is undoubtedly the best player of that group, but like the rest of them, he's not part of the Knicks' long-term plans.

5. Where they go from here

The best situation for both the Knicks and for Kanter would be for the center to be in a different uniform on Feb. 8, a day after the trade deadline.

Because of his salary, finding a trade partner might prove too difficult. If that's the case, a buyout could be the answer.

Kanter can help a playoff-bound team.

He may not be a modern NBA center who can stretch the floor and shoot threes, and his defense is an issue, but his rebounding ability and his toughness around the basket on the offensive end would still bring value to a contender.